Help...Gear Won't Come Up

[stackj]

After rebuilding the nose strut on our 1967 skymaster I had the idea of testing the retraction mechanism by doing just that. I only used the hand pump as my hydraulic pumps are engine driven. I called the Cessna service center and talked to Cliff Ives and asked if this would be a safe way to check the nosgear for proper retraction. He supported it fully and when I tried it, everything worked fine.

I'd be very cautious when running the retract test with the ELECTRIC pump. Make sure you shut it off as soon as the nosegear starts to retract (Use the master switch). I don't really think the electric pump would be able to fold the main gear with the aircraft weight on them, but I'd certainly hate to be the one to test that theory.

I wouldn't think there would be any problem letting the electric pump extend the gear.